The Professorship for Atomic-scale Characterisation at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering is looking for
Two 3.5-year PhD positions (m/f/x) in ‘Atomic-scale characterization of solid electrolyte interphases in lithium batteries’, 39,83 hours/week , TV-L E13
The chair of "Atomic-scale Characterisation" is studying materials at the atomic level.
Developing high-energy-density rechargeable battery technologies is essential to solve energy and environmental problems. However, its development is currently impeded by a poor understanding of elementary processes occurring at electrode/electrolyte interfaces. Several long-standing issues such as short cycle life, low Coulombic efficiency and hazardous dendrite formation in batteries cannot be fundamentally solved due to the knowledge gap. The bottleneck is that interfacial chemistry on the atomic-scale is as yet unresolved, owing to the lack of sufficiently suitable analytical capabilities. In this project, the PhD candidates will employ atom probe tomography, coupled with a highly innovative cryogenic sample preparation and transfer platform, to provide atomic-scale insights into solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) formed at the electrode/electrolyte interface in lithium batteries.
extent: full-time
duration: temporary
beginning: as soon as possible
application deadline: 24.02.2025
Your tasks:
- The PhD candidates will be funded by the European Research Council (ERC) consolidator grant ‘INTERACT’ for 3.5 years under supervision of Prof. Tong Li.
- The PhD candidates will work closely with other members in the Chair of Atomic-scale Characterization (Home) to improve a fundamental understanding of how electrode/electrolyte interfaces work in batteries, expanding their knowledge in materials characterization.
- The successful candidates will be working in the new research center for interface-dominated high-performance materials (ZGH) at Ruhr University Bochum, which houses a large and comprehensive suite of equipment dedicated to nanostructure analysis; the center is among the best facilities of its kind in the world.
- The candidates will have access to world-class set of laboratories and more than 10 major microscopy platforms, including the state-of-the-art atom probe, aberration-corrected TEM and focused ion beam etc.
Your profile
The candidate must:
- have an excellent master degree in materials science, electrochemistry, inorganic or organic chemistry
- have project experiences with lithium metal batteries
- be familiar with assembling cells and performing electrochemical cycling tests for non-aqueous or aqueous batteries
- have solid knowledge of electrochemistry or relevant project experiences
- have a high level of spoken and written English
- be self-motivated and eager to learn
- work both independently and as part of an interdisciplinary team
